Eternal Prince Makes It 11 in Belmont

Eleven horses, among them the unexpected Eternal Prince, were entered Thursday for Saturday’s $512,900 Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park.

After their horse finished third in the Preakness Stakes, the owners of Eternal Prince--Brian Hurst and George Steinbrenner--had said that the horse would be sent to Saratoga for a rest. But the colt never got past Aqueduct, and drew the outside post position for the 1 1/2-mile Belmont, not an an advantageous spot for a horse who likes to run in front.

Eternal Prince will be ridden again by Richard Migliore, who was replaced by Chris McCarron for the Preakness. Migliore won the Wood Memorial with Eternal Prince, but the colt broke poorly in the Kentucky Derby and finished 12th.

“Just because a guy walks in the winning run doesn’t mean you can give up on him,” Hurst said of Migliore, using an analogy that may have come from Steinbrenner, the principal owner of the New York Yankees.

Chief’s Crown, who was third in the Derby and second in the Preakness after having been favored in both races, is listed as the 5-2 Belmont favorite. The entry of Stephan’s Odyssey and Creme Fraiche, trained by Woody Stephens, who is seeking his fourth straight Belmont win, is 3-1 in the morning line, the same as the odds listed for Preakness winner Tank’s Prospect.

The Belmont field, in post-position order, with jockeys: Chief’s Crown, Angel Cordero; Tank’s Prospect, Pat Day; Southern Sultan, James Terry; Fast Account, Chris McCarron; Purple Mountain, Tony Graell; El Basco, Jacinto Vasquez; Stephan’s Odyssey, Laffit Pincay; Creme Fraiche, Eddie Maple; Important Business, Jean Cruguet; Cutlass Reality, Don MacBeth, and Eternal Prince, Richard Migliore. All horses will carry 126 pounds.

El Basco and Purple Mountain will also run as an entry, and Important Business, winner of the Illinois Derby, is being supplemented at a cost of $32,500.

Pincay has ridden all three of Stephens’ successive Belmont winners--Conquistador Cielo in ‘82, Caveat in ’83 and Swale last year.